Improvement in process and apparatus for preserving fruits



. To whmnc't may concern:

N waited 'tatta @wat @imita JOHN'eLfWRE-NSHALL, er BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

' IMPROEMEN'J: INrRoeEss ANDAEPARATUS FOR' PRESERVING FRUITS, VEGETA.

` a BLES, &. d Y

` 1 `The Schedule referred to in these LettersPatent and making part ox the game Beit known that I, `Jenn 0. WnnNsHALn, of the city and county'ot'f Baltimore and State of Maryland, have` invented al certain new and improredMode of and Apparatus for Preserving Fruits, Vegetables, Li-

`quors, and Meats, of whiclithe following is a speeification. i

`My invention is based upon the prineipleof pre serving fruits, smeatsfand other animal and vegetable substances, `by closing` the jars, or other vesselsA in l which such substances are contained, while the same are in avaeuum; and y The invention consists-.-`

First, inthe modeof partially or wholly cookingthe fruit or etherfsubstance tobeprcserred, byplacing the said substance iu a vacunnnand then admit-ting steam',

i so as Cto partly, but not wholly, reduce the vacuum,

andt-hen, while the vacuum is still maintained, cork-4 ing or sealing the jar orotherressel i'n whichthe substance is`containedL o Seeoud,\in a mode of` 'preparing fruit for pyre-` serves??` erl""conserres, by placing thefruit in jars c and covering' it with"propeily-prepared Sirup, either hot or cold; then' placing it in a vacnnm-chamber, and extracting the air to a high degree;` then adinitting air, so `as tol destroy the `vacuum and drive the s'irup` into the fruit then creating a .second vacuum sufficient toallowjthe jars or vessels to be sealed or corked while the air isexcluded.`

Third,`in`an` apparatus for corking jars and other vessels or receptacles for the animal or vegetablesuh- `stances tobe preserved, provided with a sliding-follower7 arranged withint-he `vacunin-chamber, and actnated by a' treadle` or other mechanism lfrom the exf 1 terior of the chamber, sol las to force the 'corkin 4the `jar or other 'vessel "to be sealed.

lFourth,`in other features relating to the organizai tion and construction of theapparatns l,to `be hereinafter described.` l i i The nature"ofvmyrinvention, and the manner in i which the sanie isor may becarried into eect, will be fully understood by referenceto the accompanying Figure 1 is aiperspective view of an "apparatus adapted to carry out my invention.

`Figure`2 is a `vertical central section of the same from the Ifront to the 'rear of the machine.

Inforder thatI may describe .more readily the manner `in which I effect the corkng of the jars, the partial cooking of the `fruit or `other substance, and the preparationof fruit, soithat it may be used as a conserve, Iwill rstdeseribe the construction of the apparatus in which these various processes may be car- `ried out.` y r `It consists of a cylinder, A, of cast-irn lor other An air-cock, e, is placed on the cylinder, through which air can pass whenever required.

The cylinder may be otherwise counterpoised, and it maybe held and run4 in ways of -dili'erent construction, but .the arrangement herein described is simple and well adapted for the purpose.

- The cylinder, 'when lowered as'shownin fig. 2,1fcsts' ou a packing plate of rubber, j, or other suit-able inatcrial recessed or grooved to receive the lower end of' lthe cylinder, so as to form a perfectly tight joint.

The packing is secured to the table by means of a ,iiietallic ring, g, or by other suitable means.

Extending np throughthe table, and so located as to open int-o the vacuum-chamber, are `two orifices, h i, the former communicating with the air-exhaust or vacuum apparatus, the latterwith any suitable steamsupply. y

The cocks for opening and closing the "steam and 'vacuum-pipes I prefer to arrange on the front of the machine, andwithin easy reach ofthe workman, and as their arrangement will be readily understood, I have not deemed it necessary torepres'ent them in the drawing.-

Within the vacuum-chamber, and' over that part oitheV table or the bottom of the vacuum-chamber ow which the jar or other receptacle to be corked is placed', is a'slidi'ng followeror head, D, which is supported by two rods, k', passing down through suitablystuti`ed or' packed boxes in the table, and connected at their lower 'ends with` a rod, l, hinged to a trcadle, E. By de- -pressin g this treadle with the foot, the workman forces down the follower or head, brings it in contact withV the cork placed overt-he month of the jar, and forces it home. -Vhen 'the foot is removed from the treadle, a spring, 'm, throws it up,A and consequently raises again the follower.

The follower or head D ismade adj nstable upon the rods k by means of holding nuts n n above and below it, se that it can be moved up or down upon the rods -to conform to the height of the`jar or vessel to be corked. The same result may be arrived at by means of .auxiliary plates, which can be added to ortaken from the under side of the followerl according to the height of the jar.

In case a bottle or other vessel with a small mout-lr is to be corked, I prefer to provide the under side of the follower with a small pin or spike, upon which the cork is held durn g the descent of the follower, and until it has been firmly driven into the bottle. But in corking wide-mouthedvessels, such as jars, the cork may be allowed to restover and upon the mouth of the jar, so as to be in the path of the descending follower.

In using this apparatus, and when it is only desired to cork the jars in a vacuum without any preliminary treatment ofthe fruit or other substance contained in the jar, the workman takes his stand in front of the machine, throws up the cylinder, places the jar on the bottom f under the follower, and places over its mouth the cork with which it is to be closed; he then draws down the cylinder, opens the vacuum-cock, so as to allow the air to be exhausted; and when the gauge, with which the apparatus should be provided, indicates the required degree otl vacuum, he closes the vacuumcock, and placing his foot .upon the treadle, forces down the follower, which drives the cork into the bottle. VHe next opens the air-cock e, so as to destroy the vacuum, throws -up tbe cylinder', and takes ont the corked jar and dips its neck, or the end where the cork is, into a pan of melted wax or sealing composition, so as`to at once close every aperture for the admission of air. This completes the operation.

- As the cork rests lightly over the mouth of the jar, it does not prevent, in the slightest degree, the exhaustion of the air from the interior ofthe jar.

p The apparatus is also adapted to the eorking of bottles iilled with wine or other liquids from which it is desirable to exclude air.

In order to vpartially cook the fruit or other substance to'be preserved, the jar or vessel containing the same is placed within the cylinder, and the vaeuum is created as before. Instead, however, of inimediately corking the jar, I exhaust the air until the gauge indicates a vacuum of, say, from ten to twelve pounds, and than, closing the vacuum-cock, I open the steam-cock, and admit steam through the pipe fi until the gauge has fallen, `to indicate-a vacuum of, say, from three to four pounds, the steam thus admitted being sufficient to almost instantaneously penetrate the fruit and partially oook it. Steam is then shut off,- and, while the fruit isstill in vacuum, the workman depresses the treadle and forces the cock in thc jar, which is thus corked in a vacuum of from three to four pounds, and the after condensation of the steam 'in the jar, when the latter is removed from the apparatus', will tend to render more perfect the vacuum within the ljar. By this simple process, I am enabled to partially cook tbe fruit or other' substance to be preserved while' in vacuum.

In order to make fruit into preserves, or to fit it to be used for conserves," I place the .fruit in jars, and cover it with properly-prepared sirup, either heated or cold. I then place it in the vacuum-chamber, ex-

hanst the air to a high degree, and then open the aircock e, so as to admit air, restoring the atmospheric pressure, which serves to drive the sirnp into thefrnit. I then close the air-cock and again exhaust the air in the chamber, so as to create a second vacuum'in which the jars are corked, as above'described. The remainder of the process is similar to that which has already been stated, and does not require repetition.

By this means the sirup is intimately mingled with the fruit, and in bot-h this process and the steaming process before described, the flavor ofthe fruit or other substance operated on is perfectly preserved. Fruit thus impregnated with sirup, can, when required, be taken ontof the can or jar and dried or coated with sugar, so as to make an excellent conserve.

Having now described my invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I would state, in conclusion, that I do not limit myself tothe precise details herein described, as the same may be varied without departure from the principle of my invention; but

WhatvI cla-im, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

1. The process hereindescribed of preserving fruit, or other vegetable or animal substances, by treating the same with steam in a vacuum and corking or sealing the jar or vessel in which said substance is contained while tbe vacuum is maintained, substantially as set forth.'

2. The preparation of fruit for conserves, substantially in the manner herein set forth.

3. 'lhe use, within the vacuum-chamber, of an appara tus for preserving animal and vegetable substances, of a'follower or sliding-head for corking the can or other vessel placed within the vacuumechamber, aetuated from the exterior of the said chamber by means of a'treadle and connecting-rods, or the equivalent of the same, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

4. The follower or head for eorking the jar or other vesselvhen made adjustable, or otherwise constructed, as herein described, so as to conform to the height ot' the jaror vessel placed within the vacuum-chamber.

5. The combination of the sliding and connterpoised cylinder' with the table or frame, andthe packingupon said table for making a tight joint with the lower end of the cylinder, when the latter rests upon the table and is in communication with the air-exhaust, substantially as shown and set forth.

6. An apparatus for preserving animal and Vegetable substances, organized and operating substantially as herein shown and described.

Iir testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two" subscribing witnesses.

I J. C. WRENSHALL.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. Bnowx, WM. H. McCann. 

